Industry Moves: AOL Promotes Panier To Bebo’s Global Head

*AOL* has promoted Bebo VP and COO Stephane Panier to head the UK social net’s global operations. The official announcement should come later today. Panier will report to directly to Jon Brod, EVP of *AOL* Ventures, the new investment arm and virtual way-station for AOL (NYSE: TWX) properties that don’t necessarily fit neatly into the current structure — and Bebo’s new home. AOL Chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong plans to keep Bebo, acquired for $850 million in 2008, at least, for now despite continued suggestions and expectations that it will be sold.

So far, AOL is acting as if it’s full-steam ahead with Bebo although it clearly has been taken down a notch internally. In a statement, Brod called Panier “the ideal leader to build on Bebo